


nijimura's flower shop

by heartattacked



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:55:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28327161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartattacked/pseuds/heartattacked
Summary: florals were never his favorite, not in color, or smell, or print, but the way white rose assaults his nose as he walks through the door, a bitter note of espresso hanging on his tongue, he can't help but wonder, is this place trying to speak, to breathe, to bury roots in his heels?
Relationships: Akashi Seijuurou/Nijimura Shuuzou, Kuroko Tetsuya/Mayuzumi Chihiro
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	nijimura's flower shop

**Author's Note:**

> hello, i come to you from my two week quarantine in tokyo. i'm about one week in and losing my mind so i thought i would start a multi-chapter fic to keep me motivated lol, it's been rough in this prison ce-i mean, hotel room.
> 
> also i would like to add, this is NOT the coffee shop au i spoke of before, that one will come it's just REALLY long so it's a wip atm. this fic is a tiny baby that should be complete in a few days. i'll be posting daily! :)

✄

  
"good morning!" calls the shop worker, a tall girl maybe in her early twenties, cropped black hair swinging above her ears, adorned with diamonds.

the man who entered is taller, hair the color of cut steel disheveled by the snow storm. he half grunts to her, wiping his feet on the doormat, trying not to show how relieved he is to be in a warm room. to display this, he quickly shuffles off his coat, snow falling to the floor in clumps, and hangs it on the coat rack. he's the only customer. it's already noon; he wonders where the business is—though, there _is_ basically a blizzard going on. maybe _he's_ the crazy one, to be here.

"how can we help you?" she waves him over. "or are you just browsing?"

"actually," he murmurs, padding over, shoulders tight. "i'm looking for something specific, like a bouquet."

"ah!" she lights up. "something custom, like a message bouquet? those have been quite popular lately, with white day coming up."

he shrugs, hoping he doesn't seem overeager. that's exactly what he wanted.

"sure."

"okay!" she swipes her hands over the counter, dark wood desk free of scrapes or dents, scattered with flower trimmings, parchment paper, spools of ribbon. she never breaks eye contact with him, fingers pulling around a pen and notepad hastily. "what's the occasion? when do you need it by?"

"well, now. i was hoping for now..."

"that's okay! we can see what we have in stock."

she watches him pointedly, waiting for the followup to her other question.

"i...my partner and i, we've been having an argument."

she nods, understanding. her eyes are pretty, he thinks, gray like the tar-snow piling up on the roads.

"so an apology bouquet?"

"no...actually, more like something to get under his skin. like...to egg him on. sort of like a declaration of war."

her kind expression fades, mouth turning down. for a second, he isn't sure she'll get it, but then she lets out the most egregious laugh he's ever heard, throwing her head back. her hands go to her heart as she laughs, and when she comes down from the high, brushes tears from her eyes. she calls, "shuuzou! come get a taste of this!"

mayuzumi doesn't really appreciate having his motives exploited for a cheap laugh, but she doesn't seem to mean harm so he just waits, eyes narrowed. a man, so-called shuuzou, appears from the back room. he stalls, looking at the two of them, attitudes vastly different. he bows his head, slight.

"welcome in."

"shuuzou—this is my brother, by the way," she turns to mayuzumi. "he wants to declare war on his boyfriend."

not sure what to say about this, shuuzou simply asks, "did you guys break up?"

"nope. we're not going to. but he's so fucking annoying, if you know what i mean."

the two blinking pairs of eyes looking back at him tells him, no, they don't know what he means.

"well," shuuzou turns behind, to the counter on the far side of the wall, where the espresso machine sits, a giant thing, top littered with potted succulents. he reaches for the portafilter, sliding it into the grinder and hitting _on._ over the gritting noise, he calls. "chiyo, you better get started. you've got your work cut out this time. don't let our customer down."

"aye-aye!" she says, scooting around the counter. she wanders into the aisles, wire shelves wound round and round with vines, flowers budding from the metal like it's their natural habitat. winter peonies, daffodils, plum blossom branches, chrysanthemums, firecracker lilies, tulips in every color, blue bottle blooms, and more and more and more. the smell is intense. in the back is the cafe portion of the shop. shuuzou slides a cup across the counter, a white mug sloshing with espresso.

"here you go," he says, and when mayuzumi begins to protest, "it's on the house, for braving a blizzard. anything to eat?"

"um, no thanks. but thanks," and he bows slightly, keeping his hand warm on the handle of the mug. "and i didn't really brave anything. my friend dragged me out to...i don't know, shop or something. whatever rich people do on weekends."

within an hour, the girl, chiyo, has shoved a forest of a bouquet into his arms.

"let's see, we've got monkshood, buttercup, orange rose, basil, and daisies, for a tiny bit of affection. it's good, right? the colors are nice, blue and orange—say, was this your idea? what a funny concept. we get people sending hate mail to their enemies, but never to their lovers! how interesting. this is your first time in, right?"

"yeah, just—someone i know recommended it—" mayuzumi starts getting his wallet out, when the door chimes. chiyo waves, face lighting up. she says, _welcome back_.

mayuzumi turns, to see akashi standing in the doorway, pink nose and cheeks, drowning in layers, holding the door open behind him. cold air blows in. he does slightly wave to the girl before gesturing to mayuzumi.

"chihiro, i'm waiting in the car."

he disappears as fast as he came, and mayuzumi tries to turn his attention back to payment. while chiyo works on his change, shuuzou returns to the front. he says, in a way that mayuzumi imagines an older brother would, "that your boyfriend?"

mayuzumi nearly chokes, and then laughs as if shuuzou was telling a deadpan joke.

"no, thank god no. why? you know him?"

nijimura shrugs, mindlessly winding the dish towel he had been holding.

"i've seen him around."

  
✄


End file.
